Benfica's Argentine defender has been watched for months by Old Trafford scouts, and a deal is now close

Manchester United are more confident than ever of securing a deal for Benfica's Ezequiel Garay.

The defender will be in the Argentina XI to face Colombia this Friday night but his representatives are deep in negotiations with the Old Trafford club - with David Moyes hoping he can have his man on board before pre-season training begins.

Rio Ferdinand's age and Nemanja Vidic's fitness issues have pushed United into the market for a central defender, while Leighton Baines is also expected to join the club as first-choice left-back when
Patrice Evra finally returns to Monaco.

You can learn all about Garay in our
MirrorFootball scouting report - or discover why his agent situation means he is closer to a move than before in our video: